Pittsburgh is the number-one city for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. That’s according to Niche.com, who shows the Burg beating out Chicago, Philadelphia, and even Boston for top honors.

According to Pittsburgh Magazine, past attendance at the city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade has ranged from 150,000 to 350,00.

Fittingly, the best advice anyone can give about attending St. Patrick’s Day events in Pittsburgh is simply this: Arrive early!

That advice definitely applied to this weekend’s events at Riley’s Pour House, where the place was already packed when Connolly & Davis (above) took the stage at 8:00 on Friday night.

Backing us up were good friends Tommy B and Jimmy Z (right), and Lauren Connolly-Moore — who brought down the house as she lent her soaring voice to our renditions of “Leaving Liverpool,” “Bye, Bye Love,” and others. In all, the night was an effective prelude to the following day, when Jim Riley opened the tent in the lot beside the main building. All day Saturday, the party became a two-stage event with both sites hosting capacity crowds that overflowed into the front and rear courtyards.

Connolly & Davis took the main stage from 6:00-8:30 that evening, opening for The Wild Geese Band, who brought the first phase of Riley’s St. Patrick’s bash to a close.

Carnegie Mayor Jack Kobistek introduced the team at 8:30, bringing them onto the big-top stage along with Team Pittsburgh’s boxing coach Jack Mook (right).

“It’s going to be an honor to fight you,” Jack told the team, although naturally he predicted a win for Team Pittsburgh.

This year’s Donnybrook event is sold out. If you don’t have a ticket, I’ll hope to see you back at Riley’s.

The final phase of Riley’s St. Patrick’s Party party will be held on March 17, featuring pub favorites Mike Gallagher, Young John Gallagher, and Mark Guiser. Music starts at 2:30 and continues until the last Guinness is poured.

And if that still isn’t enough, you’ll want to be sure to return on March 31, when Riley’s monthly Story Night will feature St. Patrick’s Day Stories — a chance to revisit the party in story form. If you have a story to share, whether it involves this year’s three-day party or any any other St. Patrick’s Day related event, we hope you’ll consider joining us as we respond to the ancient Irish question: Cad é an scéal? (What’s the story?)

Until then . . . scop on!

Images:

Connolly & Davis — photo by Lauren Connolly-Moore.

Tommy B and Jimmy Z, performing at our January show; Riley’s Garden Tent Sign; and Jack Mook with Team Irish — photos by the 21st Century Scop.

St. Patrick’s Day Stories – image from celebratingholidays.com. It’s a neat little image, even if it does have a four-leaf clover masquerading as a shamrock. Perhaps it’s intended to suggest the luck of the Irish. In any event, it’s a step removed from St. Patrick’s trinity symbol. Alas!